Vladys Gumption
Colt55
I’d be shocked if we got more than a 2nd + a B prospect. And that’s not even remotely worth it.
2024-2025 Blues Trade Proposals Thread.
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Snubbed4Vezina
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Linkens Mastery
Conductor of the TankTown Express
I see zero chance that happens. Last off season while Necas was an RFA and wasn't doing this well maybe. But not now.
bleedblue1223
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It could, they'd be silly to move him with the season that he's having though. I do think he's eventually traded, but probably at the upcoming draft if he continues this pace. Or maybe they all have a change of heart and he's viewed as a long-term piece again. They can't let him walk as a UFA.
BlueMed
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Their goaltending hasn't been very impressive in recent post-seasons. I'm not one to let their forwards off the hook when their offense dries up in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but they could absolutely use a gamer like Binner.
Snubbed4Vezina
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Kochetkov is a good goalie and someone the Canes are hoping is their goalie of the future. I highly doubt they're interested in blocking him long-term with Binnington and his contract. I certainly don't think they'd trade Necas and thin themselves out at forward to do so. Freddy Anderson is a solid goalie too so it's not like they're thin at the position when healthy.
I love Binnington, but what he did in the playoffs on the run to the Cup was almost a half decade ago and last season aside, he hasn't performed at the level of someone who you would think a playoff team is going to give up a premium asset like Necas to add.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if the Blues were in a playoff series today, I'd feel great with Binnington as our starting goaltender. I just don't think people around the league put him on the same pedestal.
Brockon
Cautiously optimistic realist when caffeinated.
I'm pretty high on Kochetkov myself. Every time the Canes have started the playoffs, he's been relegated to backup behind Andersen.
He's played a total of 6 playoff games over the past 3 years. Andersen was hurt in 21-22 when Kochetkov played 4 games. I believe Raanta was as well, but can't recall.
In the only 2022-23 playoff game Kochetkov played ~40 mins, I can't seem to find if he was pulled due to poor performance or if he entered in relief due to injury.
I think the Canes may be more receptive than you think about pulling in a playoff goalie like Binner. Kochetkov hasn't seized the role in any given season with the Canes, he's risen to the occasion when Raanta/Andersen have been out in previous seasons. That's a very important distinction.
Andersen has now missed significant time in 4/5 past seasons with his current absence. Worth noting is that Rod Brind'Amour is on record stating that Freddy will be out long term currently and the Canes are contemplating if surgery is necessary (link below).
I believe Kochetkov will be trusted to get the Canes through the regular season if Spencer Martin shows himself to be a competent backup but if Freddy isn't on track to return before the playoffs - I expect a move to acquire a more veteran goalie with a playoff track record to happen before the TDL.
I don't think the current front office will hold back on trying to capitalize on the current window - adding Binnington would see both goalies become UFAs after the 2026-27 season. They could easily run a 1A/B tandem and extend Kochetkov in the 2026 off-season to soothe any hurt feelings. And I'd imagine a cup ring would probably mitigate those too.
Carolina Hurricanes await status of injured goalie Frederik Andersen
The Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with an unspecified injury to goaltender Frederik Andersen that could keep him out for an extended period.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
The Hurricanes absolutely need Binnington, I watch them a lot and talk almost every day with one of their fans. They are fragile in net and now Anderson is out again.
They are not comfortable riding with Kochetkov and they are correct
bleedblue1223
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Yeah, I do think Carolina will eventually do what we did with Ryan Miller, they'll just hope it turns out better for them than it was for us.
Brockon
Cautiously optimistic realist when caffeinated.
This discomfort about Kochetkov in net - do you have a sense if that's about his lack of post season experience, or are they uncomfortable with Kochetkov being their starter during the regular season as well for an extended period of time?
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
Elliott wasn't constantly hurt, and Binnington is a nails playoff goalie who doesn't allow 4 goals on 22 shots or 4 goals on 24 shots or 4 goals on 23 shots like Ryan Four Goal Miller would
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
I think it's more about getting over the hump and winning it all than the regular season.
bleedblue1223
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It's a situation that reminds me of when Allen was the starter. Early in his career, you had the belief that he could possibly be the guy, but then you slowly realize that he just isn't, so you either chase vets or hope one of your other young goalies in the system can be that guy.
Brian39
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Everything I find online has Nikishin's contract ending this season, which is why he would be able to join the NHL in the spring of 2025.
Like you, I don't care about LHD or RHD when talking about him. He has the upside to make handedness and our comparative organizational depth in the prospect pool meaningless. He has damn near every tool in the toolbox and the only real question mark is whether he has the IQ/commitment to adapt his game to North American ice and speed.
The potential long term "problem" of a Nikishin/Broberg top 4 blocking Lindstein would be an absolutely marvelous best-case scenario. I expect Parayko to be capable to play quality top 4 minutes alongside one of those guys for several years (let's call it the J-Bo role) and suddenly you're talking about being just a competent RHD away form a potentially elite blueline.
By 2026/27, this lineup would have the legitimate potential to be one of the league's best:
Nikishin (age 25 season)-Parayko (age 33 season)
Broberg (age 25 season)-Faulk (age 34 season)/????
Lindstein (rookie year)-????/Faulk
Then Faulk comes off the books and you start filling in the gaps with Jiricek and outside hires with an eye to eventually take the minutes Parayko becomes less capable of playing. Swap the pairs around how you like, but that is the backbone of a great young D group
Nikishin is a great asset for them, but he is going to get very expensive very quickly if he is who people think he is. If he signs an ELC in the spring to burn 2024/25, he will be an RFA with arbitration rights following the 2025/26 season. I'd also wager that Russia is willing to pay a lot of under-the-table money to lure him back to the KHL, which further increases his leverage. There is very real potential that whoever holds his rights is put in a position to overpay for potential (or small sample size) to avoid losing him quickly.
Maybe Carolina is willing to give him that bag and take on that risk. But they are arguably the most inflexible team in the league on their willingness to budge on contracts and they have $16M committed to 4 D men for 2026/27.
I do see a scenario where the realities of Nikishin's potential leverage in rapidly approaching contract negotiations encourages them to use Nikishin as a trade chip to make a big push for the Cup this season by acquiring non-rentals who can also help them beyond this season. I think it is more likely that they are comfortable with the risks in keeping him, but as much as I love the player I do think that contractual realities are a reason for concern beyond simply "he's Russian."
Kaprizov used his leverage as a late-arriving KHL guy to get $9M AAV on just a 5 year deal in a fully flat cap after 51 points in 55 career NHL games. Nikishin should be trying to do the same thing if he shines early in his NHL career. The contractual reality of the player is that you better be willing to give him $10M+ on a non-max term deal if he is a Calder-level player in 2025/26.
If Carolina views Binner as a Cup-caliber guy, then I think that Binner (50% retention) and Saad (50% retention) is a good starting point for negotiations in a potential Nikishin deal. We would need to add and that conversation very well might morph into a discussion about including Neighbours instead of Saad. But I think that is a good starting point where we are filling their biggest 2 immediate needs for a combined $5.25M against the cap. Neither is a rental and we could easily take back Freddy's $3.4M deal to give them the needed cap wiggle room this year.
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Brian39
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Goaltending is what got them eliminated from the playoffs last season. In year's past, you could argue that it was a combination of untimely soft goals and the offense drying up, but last season was squarely on the goalies.
They got a combined .878 SV% out of their goalies in their 6 game series loss to the Rangers. They outshot the Rangers 223 to 156 and they scored 3 goals in three of the four games that they lost. They scored 2 goals in the other loss. Their 3.45 goals per game in the playoffs was 2nd in the league last year. From eye test alone, some of the goals against were very obvious backbreakers that just can't go in during a tight series.
They returned the same 2 goalies and now one of them is injured long term again. I know they have high hopes for Kochetkov, but so far he hasn't taken another step since last season. He appears poised to be their #1 in the playoffs if they don't bring someone in and I'm not remotely sold that he is ready to take a team to the Cup.
There's not a lot I'm unwilling to part with for Nikishin. I would've sent Buchy-plus last year. I doubt he's getting moved though, so it's all wishful thinking.
Snubbed4Vezina
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I'm a big Kochetkov fan and I think he ends up being a high-quality goaltender for the Hurricanes. For me the question was also about Binnington's remaining contract length. I did some digging into the Hurricanes situation and I didn't realize how much money they had coming off the books next season, including $3.5Mish currently being paid to Freddy Andersen. After they let Guentzel, Skjei, Pesce, etc. walk in the offseason, I assumed the Hurricanes were in a cap crunch.
Given their cap space next offseasons, I could see a fit. Andersen is getting paid $3.5M this season so the Hurricanes would only need about $2.5M for the rest of Binnington's contract. They have over $20M coming off the books next season so they'd have no problem fitting Binnington under the cap IF they believe he is a solution between the pipes.
I do question whether GMs see Binnington as an answer given how volatile his performances have been over the last several seasons, but Binnington may have an opportunity to boost his trade stock in the next few months. Let's imagine Binner grabs a starting spot on Team Canada and performs well on that stage. I think you can throw any concerns about his play this season out the window. If he can help win Canada a gold, his stock is never going to be higher than it will be pre-trade deadline 2025 and if the right team comes knocking, maybe it's Carolina, it could be a great opportunity to grab a key piece or two for the future that teams wouldn't be willing to part with right now. And the Blues could do worse than a tandem of Freddy Andersen and Joel Hofer for a season or two if Andersen is interested in re-upping.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
the entire reason I started by wondering if Jackson Blake is enough of a piece is that Nikishin isn't worth spending five seconds thinking about how to get, he is one of the world's top prospects outside the NHL, there is not one of us who would make that move if we had one of the world's top prospects on defense on tap
